Cycle Safety: 10 Tips to Stay Safe on Two Wheels

Thursday, July 27 2017

Brush up on bicycle safety with our top tips to keep you safe while biking.

by Mary Wimmer

Bicycling may be one of the healthiest activities we can do for our bodies (and the planet), but that doesn’t mean it comes without hazards. Fortunately, some of these are entirely preventable. Be sure to brush up on bicycle safety before you head out – and check out our top 10 tips to keep safe, below.

Be Aware: Maintain awareness of other road-users at all times, including cars (both in use and parked), service vehicles, buses, and pedestrians.

Be Predictable: Learn the proper hand signals to indicate your turns, lane changes and stops; and use them at all times when riding your bike.

Be Seen: Make sure that you are visible, especially at night, by wearing reflective gear and putting reflective tape on both your bike and helmet.

See Clear: Just as you want to make sure that other road-users can see you, make sure that you can see them. Use lights in dark conditions. Avoid cycling in inclement weather with reduced visibility, for example in thick fog or thunder showers.

Stear Clear: Keep a safe distance from vehicles.

Stay Focused: Ensure that the road has your complete attention at all times. Do not use mobile devices while riding or wear headphones.

Go with the Flow: Ride with the flow of traffic and not against it. Clearly marked contra-flow bike lines are the only exception to this.

No Sharing: Do not carry more people than bike was designed for.

Avoid Wet Surfaces: If it’s unavoidable, slow down and keep your bike as upright as possible. Loss of traction on wet or slippery surfaces can cause you to lose control of your bike.

Level Off: Whenever and wherever possible, ride on even surfaces. Riding on rough surfaces is dangerous and can cause you to lose your balance and fall. Avoid riding across sharp or unknown objects that may cause loss of balance or a flat tire.

If you do happen to end up with a flat tire, or even a broken chain or other mechanical failure, while riding, CAA North & East Ontario is here to help. Your CAA Membership entitles you to the same peace of mind when you’re cycling, just as when driving.

CAA NEO’s free Bike Assist program offers CAA Members roadside coverage 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Find out more about Bike Assist here.

CAA North & East Ontario serves Members in Ontario in the cities of North Bay, Ottawa, Sudbury and Thunder Bay; the Districts of Cochrane, Manitoulin, Nipissing, Parry Sound, Rainy River, Timiskaming, and Kenora (including area of Patricia); and the Counties of Dundas, and Glengarry, including the portion of Leeds-Grenville formerly known as Grenville County, Lanark, Prescott, Renfrew, Russell, and Stormont.